The Indian men's and women's teams qualify for the Olympics 2024 for the first time in history. As a result, India can participate in both gender team event, two singles player each & one mixed double team. After the conclusion of the World Team Championships Finals in Busan last month, the last qualifying event for the Paris Olympics, seven spots in the team events remained, which have been awarded to sides based on their rankings.
In the women's event, India, ranked 13, Poland (12), Sweden (15), and Thailand have secured their passage to Paris 2024 Olympics. "The highest-ranked teams not yet qualified in the latest World Team Ranking booked their ticket to Paris 2024," ITTF said.
Finally!!!! India qualifies for the team event at the Olympics! Something I have wanted for a long long time! This one is truly special, despite it being my fifth appearance at the Olympics! Kudos to our Women's Team who also secure a historical quota! ðð½ðð½ð®ð³ pic.twitter.com/0VhqTpFmFy
Croatia (12), India (15), and Slovenia (11) secured their spots in the men's team event. This is a huge moment in the Indian table tennis history, as it will be the first time the nation competes in the team event at the Olympics. Both the Indian teams had missed Olympic berths at the ITTF World Team Championships Finals after making pre-quarterfinals exits.
Delve into India's rise at the Olympics through a historical timeline, spotlighting key turning points from the golden era of hockey to individual medals that shaped the nation's flourishing success.
India's journey in Olympic Games began in 1900, but for many decades, success was limited. The nation's presence on the medal tally was defined by mostly one or two medals per edition, with the success of the Men's Hockey teams being the main reason for it.
However, the 21st century marked a turning point, as it saw India's rise at the Olympics. Their success at the Games picked up pace in several new ways.
Check out the full article to see how India's journey transformed:
1996-2008: Individual medals emerge
Leander Paes, Karnam Malleswari and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore with their Olympic Medals. Image | Sportzpoint
After years of triumph in Men's Hockey, 1996 Atlanta Olympics saw a change for India, as Leander Paes won a Bronze medal in Tennis. This victory brought in the first individual medal for India in Olympics after 44 years (previously: K.D. Jadhav won in 1952 in Wrestling).
Following this breakthrough, other individual athletes began to make their mark. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Karnam Malleswari made history with her Bronze medal win in Weightlifting, and became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.
Moving to the next edition, the 2004 Athens Olympics saw another individual triumph, with a Silver medal this time. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore brought home India's first-ever medal in Shooting, laying the groundwork for India's extended talent pool beyond hockey.
In 2008, the momentum continued with Abhinav Bindra's Gold (Shooting), Vijender Singh's Bronze (Boxing), and Sushil Kumar's Bronze medal (Wrestling) in the same edition.
2012 Olympic Medalists from India. Image | sportzpoint.com
The 2012 London Olympics was a truly historic moment for India. For the first time ever, India secured six individual medals in a single Olympic edition, that too in five different sports. This was not just a jump in numbers, but a clear rise for India in the Olympic Games.
Here, take a closer look at the medalists:
Gagan Narang: Bronze Medal in Shooting
Gagan Narang won India's first medal at London 2012, taking bronze in the men's 10m Air Rifle event with a final score of 701.1. He opened the medal books for India in this historic edition.
Sushil Kumar: Silver medal in Wrestling
Sushil Kumar became the first Indian to win two individual Olympic medals (previously in 2008), securing silver in the men's 66kg freestyle wrestling after a hard-fought tournament.
Saina Nehwal: Bronze medal in Badminton
Saina Nehwal earned India's first-ever Olympic medal in Badminton, securing a bronze in Women's singles. With this victory, she also became the second woman, after Malleswari, to win a medal at the grandest stage.
Yogeshwar Dutt: Bronze medal in Wrestling
Yogeshwar Dutt overcame injuries and fought through brilliantly in the men's 60kg freestyle wrestling to secure a bronze medal.
Mary Kom: Bronze medal in Boxing
In the debut of women's boxing at the Olympics, Mary Kom won a bronze in the flyweight (51kg) category, making her the first Indian woman boxer to achieve this milestone.
Vijay Kumar: Silver medal in Shooting
Vijay Kumar clinched silver in the men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, finishing behind Cuba's Leuris Pupo.
2016-2024: Sustaining the momentum in India's modern Olympic era
India has consistently built upon its Olympic success since 2012, with athletes dominating in different categories of sports. The period from 2016 to 2024 has seen new talents emerge and solidify India's rise on the global stage.
Discover the story of two exceptional Indian athletes who won multiple medals in a single Olympic edition, achieving the feat for most medals by an Indian in a single Olympics.
Competing on the grandest stage of them all, the Olympic Games, is an aspiration for athletes worldwide. Earning a single medal by getting ahead of the best around the world is a massive deal. But not just one win, imagine multiple medals in a single edition of Olympics? That's an extraordinary achievement.
For a nation like India, despite centuries of sporting heritage, this monumental feat has only been achieved by two athletes.
Get ready to delve into the stats for most medals by an Indian in a single Olympics.
Norman Pritchard: India's first Olympic medalist and multi-medal pioneer
Olympic medalist Norman Pritchard. Image | Hindustan Times
Sport: Athletics
Olympic Edition: 1900 Paris Olympics
Medals Won: 2
Event: Men's 200m sprint, Men's 200m hurdles
Hailing from Kolkata, West Bengal, Norman Pritchard was a British-Indian athlete who marked India's debut in the Olympic Games with huge success. He not only holds the record of being the first-ever Olympic medalist from India, but also one of the only 2 athletes to win multiple medals in a single Olympics.
At the 1900 Paris Olympics, Pritchard secured two silver medals in athletics (Men's 200m and Men's 200m hurdles), setting the bar high and inspiring the future generations. His multi-medal success was the only standing record for over a century.
Manu Bhaker: A modern-day multi medallist, 124 years later
Manu Bhaker flaunting her two medals won at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Image | TOI
Sport: Shooting
Olympic Edition: 2024 Paris Olympics
Medals Won: 2
Event: Women's 10m air pistol, Mixed 10m air pistol team
More than a century after Pritchard's historic record, 2024 Paris Olympics witnessed another extraordinary individual brilliance from an young Indian athlete. Manu Bhaker, a professional shooter from Haryana, stunned everyone with her multi-medal feat.
Bhaker became the second Indian athlete to win multiple medals in a single Olympics with her 2 Bronze medals in shooting. She won the first one at an individual event (Women's 10m air pistol) and the second one alongside Sarabjot Singh in mixed 10m air pistol team.
Acknowledging the nuance regarding Pritchard's British roots and the ongoing debate about his nationality despite the IOC crediting India, Manu Bhaker is widely considered the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to win most medals in a single Olympics.
Wherever Neeraj Chopra goes, he does not return empty-handed. So, it's time we take a look at every Neeraj Chopra records that he has made in his tremendous career so far.
Wherever Neeraj Chopra goes, he does not return empty-handed. This series started in 2016 when this rising star made a record for the first time at the Under-20 World Athletics Championships. From that day itself, we got a glimpse of the future to come, in which many records were to be made and broken one after the other.
On Friday night of 16 May, Neeraj maintained the same trend in Doha Diamond League 2025 and got his name registered in history, becoming the first Indian to breach the 90m mark in the sport. So, it's time we take a look at every Neeraj Chopra records that he has made in his tremendous career so far.
First Indian to breach the 90m mark: Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 90.23m, achieved at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, 2025. The mark stands as the men’s national record in India and Neeraj Chopra’s personal best. It was the first time an Indian had breached the 90m-mark in the javelin.
First Indian to win Olympic medal in athletics: At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Neeraj Chopra produced a historic performance in the men's javelin throw event. Neeraj won the gold medal in the final with a throw of 87.58m, giving India its first Olympic medal in athletics. With this win, Neeraj Chopra also became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in a track and field event at the Olympics.
First Indian to win silver at World Athletics Championships: Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won a historic silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. He recorded a throw of 88.13m in his fourth attempt to claim the second spot. Chopra thus is the first Indian to win a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships and only the second medallist from the country after Anju Bobby George in 2003.
First Indian track and field athlete to win world championship: Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. With this win, the then 18-year-old Neeraj became the first Indian track and field athlete to become a world champion in any event and any age level.
First Indian World Record holder in track & field: Neeraj Chopra Threw 86.48m at the junior championships in Poland to win the title. With this, he set the new under-20 world record, beating the 84.69m mark established by the previous holder, Latvia's Zigismunds Sirmais. Neeraj’s 86.48m attempt at Bydgoszcz still stands as both the U20 world record as well as the U20 Asian record in the javelin throw.
Indian national javelin throw record holder: Neeraj Chopra’s best attempt to date came at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022 in Sweden on June 30, 2022, where he managed his personal best of 89.94m to establish the new national record.
First Indian to win javelin throw gold at Asian Games: Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. Before him, Gurtej Singh was the only men’s javelin thrower from the country to win a medal – bronze at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games. Neeraj threw 88.06m to claim the 2018 Asian Games title.
First Indian to win a Diamond League meet: Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a Diamond League meet after he topped the field in Lausanne in 2022. With a depleted field that had world champion Anderson Peters missing, the Indian comfortably led the charts with an 89.08m throw, in his first attempt.
First Indian to become Diamond League champion: Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian athlete in history to clinch the Diamond League trophy, by winning the Zurich Diamond League 2022 Final. The Indian ace recorded a best throw of 88.44m to beat Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and 2016 champion Jakub Vadlejch to the title.
First Indian to become world champion: Neeraj Chopra became India's first world champion after he clinched the gold medal in the men's javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest with an effort of 88.17m. It was Neeraj Chopra's second straight medal at the world championships after his silver at Oregon 2022.
Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 90.23m, achieved at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, 2025. The mark stands as the men’s national record in India and Neeraj Chopra’s personal best.
Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra bettered his throw of 89.94m with a season-best throw of 90.23m at the at the Doha Diamond League 2025. After this, he became the first Indian to breach the 90m mark in the sport.
Despite the historic achievement, Chopra missed out on the top podium spot at the Doha Diamond League, where Germany’s Julian Weber stole the show with a massive throw. Chopra’s previous best was 89.94m, set on June 30, 2022, at the Stockholm Diamond League — a mark that stood as both his personal best and the men’s national record.
Neeraj achieved his target
Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 90.23m, achieved at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, 2025. The mark stands as the men’s national record in India and Neeraj Chopra’s personal best.
The second-best throw of Neeraj Chopra's career is 89.94m. Neeraj had thrown this throw in the Stockholm Diamond League on 30 June 2022. This throw is a national record and one of Neeraj Chopra's best throws.
Neeraj Chopra's third-best throw of 89.49m came at the Lausanne Diamond League 2024This is Chopra's best throw ever at a global championship and his third-best overall.
Neeraj Chopra's fourth-best throw in javelin throw came at Paris Olympics 2024 where he bagged the silver medal with an 89.45m throw.
His fifth best throw came in Paavo Nurmi Games in 2022 where he went close to that 90m mark once again.
In the Lausanne Diamond League 2022, held in the month of August, Neeraj Chopra had thrown the sixth-best throw of his career. Neeraj had thrown the javelin 89.08 meters.
Neeraj's seventh-best throw came in the Asian Games 2023 held in Hangzhou. In this round, Neeraj had achieved a distance of 88.88m.
Neeraj Chopra's eighth-best throw came in the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest. In this competition which was held on August 25, 2023, Neeraj showed excellent performance and achieved a distance of 88.77m.
The Ultimate Table Tennis 2025 season is set to take place from May 29 to June 15 at EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, the organisers announced on Friday.
This will be the sixth season of India's premier table tennis league, featuring eight teams with top Indian and international table tennis stars. The defending champions, Goa Challengers, will aim for a third consecutive title.
The tournament which started in 2017, has seen Indian Table Tennis stars like Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Manav Thakkar and Sutirtha Mukherjee, alongside international stars like Olympic silver medallist Petrissa Solja AND Tiago Apolónia
8 teams will be divided into two groups and every team will have six players in their squad. Each tie will have five matches. Last season. Goa Challengers defended their title against Dabang Delhi TTC in Chennai.
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